U.S. President Donald Trump has signed a series of executive orders and taken various actions since his swearing-in on Monday, addressing a wide range of issues that could affect millions of Americans and non-citizens alike.
The actions aim to fulfill campaign promises regarding illegal immigration, the federal workforce, energy and the environment, gender and diversity policies, and pardons for supporters involved in the January 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol.
Here are some key actions taken by Trump:
IMMIGRATION
Trump declared a national emergency at the U.S.-Mexico border and imposed a broad ban on asylum for migrants “engaged in the invasion across the southern border.”
He directed the Defense Department to prioritise sealing the border and supporting the construction of the border wall, detention space, and migrant transportation. Additionally, he empowered the defense secretary to send troops to the border as needed.
Trump ordered the suspension of refugee admissions into the U.S., which included the cancellation of travel for nearly 1,660 Afghans approved for resettlement.
He revived the “Remain in Mexico” policy, requiring non-Mexican asylum seekers to wait in Mexico while their U.S. cases are pending. The policy was reactivated on Tuesday.
Trump directed the attorney general to seek the death penalty for immigrants without legal status who commit serious crimes such as murder.
Trump also issued an order to end birthright citizenship for children born in the U.S. to non-citizen parents, challenging the constitutional provision. Lawsuits have already been filed by Democratic state attorneys general and advocates.
Trump initiated a process to designate criminal cartels as foreign terrorist organisations and use the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 against foreign gang members.
CUTTING THE SIZE OF THE FEDERAL WORKFORCE
Trump ordered federal employees to return to the office full-time and instructed agencies to halt remote work arrangements.
He imposed a freeze on federal hiring, except for military, immigration enforcement, national security, and public safety roles.
He reinstated his first-term Schedule F executive order, which would strip job protections from tens of thousands of government workers, making them easier to fire.
A memo from the U.S. Office of Personnel Management instructed agency heads to identify employees on probationary periods or with less than two years of service, as they are easier to dismiss.
GOVERNMENT DIVERSITY PROGRAMS AND GENDER ISSUES
Trump signed an order eliminating government diversity programs, including all federal offices and jobs related to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI).
In a Tuesday memo, the Trump administration announced that all DEI staff would be placed on paid leave by Wednesday due to office closures.
The order also directed a review of federal contractors providing DEI training materials and revoked the Equal Employment Opportunity order signed by President Lyndon B. Johnson in 1965.
Trump rescinded the Biden administration’s policy allowing transgender individuals to serve in the military and issued an order to “recognise two sexes, male and female” on official documents, declaring that these sexes are “not changeable and grounded in fundamental and incontrovertible reality.”
Trump directed agencies to stop using gender identity or preferred pronouns.
EXPANDING ENERGY PRODUCTION
Trump declared a national energy emergency to promote energy production, dismantle regulations, and reverse efforts to transition to electric vehicles.
He signed orders to boost oil and gas development in Alaska, reversing Biden’s efforts to protect Arctic lands and U.S. coastal waters from drilling, suspending offshore wind lease sales, and lifting a freeze on liquid natural gas export permits.
PARIS CLIMATE PACT
Trump ordered the U.S. to withdraw from the Paris climate agreement, removing the world’s largest historic emitter of greenhouse gases from the global pact designed to combat climate change. He had previously taken this action in his first term, a move that Biden later reversed.
WITHDRAWAL FROM WORLD HEALTH ORGANISATION
Trump directed his administration to begin withdrawing from the World Health Organisation, accusing the global health agency of mishandling the COVID-19 pandemic and other international health crises.
JAN. 6 PARDONS
Trump pardoned around 1,500 of his supporters convicted in connection with the January 6, 2021, U.S. Capitol attack, including leaders of far-right groups like the Oath Keepers and the Proud Boys.
TIKTOK AND DOGE
Trump signed an executive order delaying the enforcement of a ban on the popular short-video app TikTok by 75 days. The app had been slated for closure on January 19.
He also established an advisory group called the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), tasked with carrying out significant cuts to the U.S. government, although this initiative faces immediate lawsuits challenging its operations.
